PANAMA CITY, Panama, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Stunningly, the United States Olympic baseball team will not have the opportunity to defend its gold medal.
The United States left the tying and winning runs in scoring position in the ninth Friday and dropped a 2-1 decision to previously winless Mexico, eliminating them from competition at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
On a day in which the game time was moved up five hours to accomodate the host Panamanians, Luis Garcia snapped a 1-1 tie in the top of the ninth with a solo homer off reliever Brian Bruney.
Just three outs from elimination, the United States tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth as Grady Sizemore and Graham Koonce singled.
Pinch-hitter Joe Mauer moved the runners with a sacrifice, but reliever Isidro Marquez came on and got Justin Leone to bounce back to the mound and Gerald Laird to pop up to first.
